Loretto, Pa. – The Le Moyne College softball team started their conference play with a series at Saint Francis University. The Dolphins were swept by the Red Flash with a score of 4-3 for the first game going 8 innings, and 11-3 in 6 innings the second game of the day.

"We played solid softball for thirteen out of fourteen innings over two games against the reigning NEC conference champions" said head coach Tracey Roman. "We didn't make adjustments at the plate as early as we needed to which ultimately cost us the game. Laura threw a gem of a game against a very battle tested and experienced team. Good hitters will catch up to the best of pitchers the longer a game goes on. A game is never decided by one pitch. We had opportunities and simply didn't capitalize. In game two we went into the defensive half of the sixth inning with a 5-3 score and a game still very much within reach. Unfortunately we compounded our mistakes and the game got away from us. The final score is not true representation of that game. Saint Francis was the better team today. We're excited to have another shot at them tomorrow."
 
First Game:
 
The Red Flash put two runs on the books in the bottom of the first. Oliva Ulam singled to first base following two consecutive outs. Savannah Nash then singled to left field while Ulam advanced to second. Lexi Hernandez brought home Ulam and Nash by sending the ball into right center bringing her to second. The Dolphins registered their first run in the top of the third, starting off by redshirt junior Brooke Nicolaos (Liverpool, N.Y. / Cicero-North Syracuse) walked and graduate left fielder Jillian Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass. / Tantasqua Regional) singled to first letting Nicolaos advance to second. Junior right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y. / Charles W. Baker) then reached on a fielder's choice which resulted in Dunn getting tagged at second but Nicolaos advancing to third. Junior second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, NY / Sayville) singled off a bunt which brought Nicolaos home and Dybacz to third, but were left on base on the following play.
 
No runs were scored again until the bottom of the fifth for the Red Flash where Kaylie Walters singled to third. Ashley Wruble then was hit by a pitch bringing her to first and Walters to second. Ulam then singled again to left field bringing Walters home to make it 1-3. In the top of the seventh the Dolphins added two more runs to the board. Redshirt junior Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y. / Cicero-North Syracuse / Onondaga C.C.) was brought to first by a walk. Sophomore UTL Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y. / South Jefferson) came in the game to pinch run for Larobardiere. Freshman left-fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y. / Cicero-North Syracuse) singled to the center helping Bush advance to second. Bush advanced to third and Nesci to second off a sacrifice bunt from graduate catcher Brandi Feeney (Cicero, N.Y. / Cicero-North Syracuse/Saint Peter's). Nicolaos grounded out, but pulled in an RBI bringing home Bush, Nesci advanced to third. Freshman pitcher Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y. / Monore-Woodbury) pinch hit for Dunn and Nesci scored during Exarchakis' at-bat off a wild pitch tying the game at 3. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the eighth where the Red Flash's Madelyn Wilson sent a homerun to center field finalizing the game at 3-4.
 
 
Second Game:
 
The Dolphins started the second game by Dybacz hitting a single into right field. Dybacz then advanced to second off a sacrifice bunt from Rinaldi. Dybacz then advanced to third off a ground out from first baseman Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro). The Red Flash then walked sophomore designated player Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) bringing her to first and Dybacz stayed on third. Larobardiere reached first off an error by the third baseman sending Dybacz home and Benderski to second. Benderski and Larobardiere were then left on base entering the bottom of the first.
 
It wasn't until the bottom of the second where the Red Flash put themselves on the board starting off from a single from Annabelle Farmer into the middle. Farmer then advanced to second off a ground out from Lauren Aubry, and advanced to third off a wild pitch. Ashley Orischak singled to third bringing Farmer home tying the game up at 1 heading into the third.
 
It wasn't long until Dybacz started off again by singling up the middle. Rinaldi then helped Dybacz advance to second from another sacrifice bunt. Bergdoll followed with a single through right field with Dybacz advancing to third. Dybacz came home off a single from Benderski which also sent Bergdoll to second but would be left on base. The Red Flash answered with a homerun from Nash sending Ulam, Wruble and herself home making it 2-4. Bases were loaded with Orischak on first, Aubry on second and Farmer on third where Walters was then walked, advancing Farmer home.
 
In the top of the fifth, Dybacz singled to left, followed by Rinaldi hitting another sacrifice bunt bringing Dybacz to second. Benderski singled up the middle sending Dybacz home again making it 3-5. The Red Flash answered again with six runs. Aubry scored off a wild pitch, Orischak then scored off a single from Ulam, Wruble scored off a sac fly from Hernandez and Ulam also scored off an error by second base. Nash scored off a wild pitch and Aliyah Garroway scored off a double from Farmer leaving it 3-11 which would be the final score.
 
The Dolphin's will be back at Saint Francis tomorrow Sunday, March 17^th. Their final game of the series will start at 12pm at Red Flash Softball Field - Loretto, Pa.